Acrylic glass golf putter

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a golf putter with a club head (1), a shaft (2) attached in the club head (2) and a handle and is characterized in that the club head (1) is formed of a transparent material. The transparency is present between the hitting side (3) of the club head (1) and the rear side (4) of the club head (1), which is opposite to the hitting side.

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a golf putter with a club head, a shaft attached in the club head and a handle. BACKGROUND

Golf putters are golf clubs used for the game on green. For this case, no flight of the golf ball but the targeted roll of the golf ball towards the hole is sought. Because this type of golf club is swung slowly, there are less physical limitations than in case of the other types of golf clubs.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The objective of the invention is to provide an improved golf putter.

This objective is reached by a putter with the features of claim 1.

By forming the club head of a transparent material, wherein transparency is present between the hitting side of the club head and the rear side of the club head, which is opposite to the hitting side, the putter makes it possible to see the golf ball and the hole of the green from the rear side, thereby simplifying the correct positioning of the putter for pocketing. This is additionally simplified if the putter has a footprint which allows the putter to be self-standing, thereby allowing the player in a particularly simple way to see the golf ball and the hole through the standing putter or the club head, respectively. The additionally preferred transparency between the upper side of the club head and the footprint of the putter formed by the underside of the club head also simplifies the positioning in such a way that that a marking is provided both on the upper side and the underside of the club head, which extends in a line-shaped or ribbon-shaped way from the rear side to the hitting side of the club head, and which markings run correspondingly in the middle on the upper side and on the underside of the club head. This allows aligning the club head precisely horizontally because, when looking directly perpendicularly from the top to the club head provided with such markings, these lines correspond when the club head is held horizontally.

Preferably, the putter is furthermore formed in such a way that a loft of the hitting side is of zero degrees.

It is further preferred that the club head consists in one piece of the transparent material and particularly consists in one piece of polymethyl methacrylate, also known as “acrylic glass”. The choice of acrylic glass has surprisingly shown that during a game hitting the golf ball with the putter or the club head, respectively, is perceived by the player as a comfortably smooth contact without recoil.

It is further preferred that the putter is executed as a so-called “center-shafted” putter, in case of which the shaft runs through the center of the club head. If the design is at the same asymmetric around the longitudinal axis of the club head, the same putter is also suitable for left-handed as well as for right-handed players and is additionally entirely balanced. The hitting side and the rear side are identical and therefore exchangeable. This means that for a left-handed player the rear side becomes the hitting side and the hitting side becomes the rear side, as compared with a right-handed player. Preferably, the putter additionally has a large hitting side and rear side as compared with ordinary putters.

Particularly preferred, the club head is substantially cube-shaped and has a rectangular upper side and a rectangular underside. Advantageously, the footprint formed by the underside is formed in such a way that the golf putter is self-standing on a horizontal and even surface. Furthermore, the weight of the club head is advantageously between around 400 and 600 grams, thereby having a mass which on the one hand is enough to make it self-standing despite an occurring lever effect through the shaft with the handle, when it is placed on its underside or an its footprint, respectively. On the other hand, this weight enables the player to perform a smooth stroke with enough force even without having to swing back the putter too much.

Preferably, two further markings are additionally provided on each the upper side and the underside of the club head, which also extend in a line-shaped or ribbon-shaped way from the rear side to the hitting side of the club head, and which markings run correspondingly in a parallel way and each at the same distance to the middle markings on the upper side and on the underside of the club head. Here, a distance between these further markings corresponds to the diameter of a golf ball. This further simplifies an alignment of the putter and the golf ball in direction of an aim or in direction of a hole.

In a further preferred embodiment, at least one bore or at least on threaded bore is formed on the front-faces, i.e. the two smaller side surfaces, in the club head. In this way the putter is made unplayable at these two smaller front faces, which corresponds to the homologation requirements, according to which only two front faces are allowed to be playable, in this case the two larger ones.

In yet another preferred embodiments, weight elements with a same weight or with different weights are formed in an insertable way on the front faces, i.e. the two smaller side surfaces, in the club head. In this way the swinging behavior of the putter can be influenced according to the choice of the player, such that the putter can be fitted to a specific player type or a specific playing style. The weight elements are inserted into the club head in a fixed way, advantageously welded in or glued in or molded in, or they are formed to be variably exchangeable and/or insertable up to a different depth, preferably formed as screw fittings into the threaded bores. The exchangeability brings about an increased variability or flexibility and therefore e.g. the advantage that even during a game the weights can be changed in a fast and simple way and fitted to a specific need of the player or can be adjusted accordingly. In the respective embodiment, a simple, fast and particularly sensitive readjustment of the weight elements is possible even without exchanging them by screwing them a little more into the club head or out of the club head, e.g. via a slit provided on the outside, by means of a screw driver or by means of the edge of a coin. The weight elements are fixed in the threaded holes strongly enough for avoiding an undesired position change of the weight elements during the game or due to the strokes.

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further embodiments, advantages and applications of the invention result from the dependent claims and from the now following description by the drawings. It is shown in: FIG. 1 a view of the club head and of a part of the shaft of a golf putter according to the invention; and

FIG. 2 a view from the bottom on the underside of the club head according to FIG. 1.

WAYS OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a golf putter with the club head 1 and with a part of the shaft 2. The part of the shaft 2 which is inserted into the club head 1 is shown dashed. The not shown handle of the golf club is provided at the other end of the shaft 2. The shaft 2 runs along a longitudinal middle axis X-X through a middle M of the club head 1 or this is a so-called “center-shafted” putter, which is preferred. In other embodiments which are not shown, the shaft 2 also runs along its longitudinal middle axis X-X, however it penetrates the club head 1 a little before or behind the middle M, which consequently allows shifting an overall center of gravity of the putter along its longitudinal middle axis X-X a little forward or backward.

This measure compensates differences resulting with respect to an overall center of gravity which changes along the longitudinal middle axis X-X, depending on length or mass of the shaft 2 with handle, respectively, depending on a value of an angle between the longitudinal middle axis X-X and of such an axis of the shaft 2 and/or also depending on the preference of a player.

It is also furthermore preferred that the club head 1 is cube-shaped, as shown. The club head 1 is transparent from the hitting side 3 to the opposite rear side 4. It is mentioned that in case of the cube-shaped “center-shafted” putter the rear side 4 can serve as hitting side 3 instead, i.e. the shown putter can be equally used by right-handed players as well as by left-handed players.

FIG. 1 furthermore shows the upper side 5 of the club head 1, while FIG. 2 shows the view on the underside 6. The putter is designed in such a way that it is standing with its underside 6 on an even, horizontal surface, e.g. on the green, i.e. it is self-standing. For this purpose, the club head 1 is dimensioned correspondingly large and its underside 6 has for example a length×width of 12 cm ×7 cm, resulting in a large standing surface. The shaft 2 and the handle are designed accordingly, such that it is made sure that the putter keeps its standing position. Preferably, the hitting side 3 is also dimensioned to be large and has the surface of length×height of the shown cube-shaped club head 1 of e.g. 12 cm×5 cm.

The club head 1 consists preferably entirely and in one piece of a transparent material which is preferably acrylic glass or polymethyl methacrylate, respectively.

As indicated in the figures, the club head 1 has line-shaped markings 7 and 8, of which the one marking 7 is provided on the upper side 5 of the club head 1 and the other marking 8 is provided on the underside 6 of the club head 1. The markings 7 and 8 can be provided on the surface of the club head 1 or they can be provided inside the material of the club head 1. They run in the middle on the upper side 5 and on the underside 6 on or through the club head 1, respectively, and from the hitting side 3 to the rear side 4, as shown. In FIG. 2, which shows a perpendicular top view on the underside 6, when it runs horizontally, is indicated that in this case the markings 7 and 8 are perceived together as one marking. In FIG. 2 the bottom marking 8 is visible and it covers the upper marking 7. If the upper side 5 would be viewed from the top, the marking 7 would be visible with the same horizontal alignment of the club head 1, which covers precisely the marking 8. If, contrary to this, the club head 1 is not held precisely horizontally, the markings 7 and 8 do not coincide anymore. Therefore, a player can determine if she/he has aligned the club head 1 precisely horizontally by means of the markings 7 and 8 and the transparency of the club head 1 from its upper side 5 to its underside 6.

In the same way as for the middle markings 7, 8, two further markings 9, 10 and 11, 12 are applied on the upper side 5 and the underside 6 of the club head 1, respectively, in a parallel way left and right at the same distance to the middle markings, indicated in FIG. 1 by the equal-sign, which extend in a ribbon-shaped way around the club head 1 in the present embodiment. Due to the ribbon-shaped arrangement of the markings 9, 10 and 11, 12, respectively, they also run correspondingly in a parallel way along the hitting side 3 and the rear side 4. Here, a (shortest) distance D between the markings 9, 10 and 11, 12 corresponds to the diameter of a golf ball. This further simplifies the alignment of the putter, as the putter or the club head 1, respectively, and the golf ball can be precisely aligned or brought to line-shaped coincidence, respectively, in the middle towards the aim, wherein the putter doesn't have to be held by the handle or may be released and it is self-standing.

In yet another advantageous embodiment, the line-shaped or ribbon-shaped markings 7-12 (not shown) are marked with different colors, wherein the markings 9, 10 as well as 11, 12 preferably have the same color, respectively.

It has been noticed that it is particularly advantageous to design the markings 7, 8 in red and the markings 9, 10 and 11, 12 in blue or black. Such a color choice further simplifies the alignment of the putter or the ball.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2, a threaded bore 15, 16 is formed on each front-face 13, 14, i.e. on the smaller side surfaces of the club head 1, (shown in a dashed way despite transparency of the club head 1), inside which (shown also in a dashed way) weight elements 17, 18 are inserted in a variably replaceable way and/or insertable or can be screwed to different depths. The weight elements 17, 18 have same masses, however they can be replaced with not shown weight elements having other or different masses, in the shown embodiment e.g. by screwing in or out via the slits 19, 20 by means of a (not shown) screw driver or an (also not shown) edge of a coin. In other embodiments which are also not shown, the weight elements 17, 18 with same or different mass may also be introduced into the putter in a fixed manner, particularly welded in, glued in or molded in.

In a further advantageous and not shown embodiment, the outer edges of the putter are chamfered and/or rounded, particularly the edges of the putter.

For protecting the putter, it can be packed in a well-protected way for secure transportation or for secure storage, preferably with a shell surrounding the putter, which is formed particularly preferable magnetically or by means of push buttons and/or which has a waterproof outer side and/or a lined inner side.

While presently preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described in this document, it is distinctly understood that the invention is not limited thereto but may be embodied and practiced in other ways within the scope of the following claims. Therefore, terms like “preferred” or “in particular” or “particularly” or “advantageously”, etc. signify optional and exemplary embodiments only. 

1. A golf putter with a club head, a shaft attached in the club head and a handle, characterized in that (a) the club head is formed of a transparent material, wherein the transparency is present between the hitting side of the club head and a rear side of the club head, which is opposite to the hitting side, (b) transparency is also present between an upper side of the club head and a footprint of the putter formed by an underside of the club head, wherein a marking is provided on the upper side and the underside of the club head, respectively, which extends in a line-shaped or ribbon-shaped way from the rear side to the hitting side of the club head, and which markings run correspondingly in a middle on the upper side and on the underside of the club head, and (c) two further markings are provided on the upper side and the underside of the club head, respectively, which extend in a line-shaped or ribbon-shaped way from the rear side to the hitting side of the club head, and which markings run correspondingly in a parallel way and each at a same distance (=) to the middle markings on the upper side and on the underside of the club head, and wherein a distance (D) between the further markings corresponds to a diameter of a golf ball.
 2. (canceled)
 3. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that the club head is substantially cube-shaped and has a rectangular upper side and a rectangular underside.
 4. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that the footprint is formed in such a way that the golf putter is self-standing on a horizontal and even surface.
 5. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that a loft of the hitting side is of zero degrees.
 6. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that the club head consists in one piece of the transparent material and particularly consists in one piece of polymethyl methacrylate.
 7. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that a shaft runs through a center of the club head.
 8. (canceled)
 9. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one bore or at least one threaded bore is formed on at least one front-face in the club head.
 10. A golf putter according to claim 1, characterized in that weight elements with a same weight or with different weights are formed in an insertable way on front faces in the club head.
 11. A golf putter according to claim 10, characterized in that the weight elements are inserted into the club head in a fixed way or in that they are formed to be variably exchangeable and/or to be inserted to a different depth.
 12. A golf putter according to claim 11, characterized in that the weight elements are inserted into the club head in a fixed way and are formed to be welded in or glued in or molded in.
 13. A golf putter according to claim 11, characterized in that the weight elements are variably exchangeable and/or inserted to a different depth and are formed as screw fittings into threaded bores. 